Lyon v APOEL Champions League betting is a match of definite interest. Notably because of the fairy tale Champions League campaign that Cypriot side APOEL are enjoying. While Champions League stalwarts Lyon were struggling to qualify for the knockout stage, APOEL were causing waves of excitement as they held on to win Group G. They are the least experienced side left in the competition this year, becoming the first side from Cyprus to make it through to the knockout stage of the competition. Now the big question is whether or not they can continue their journey a little further. They will probably be confident, and they seemed pretty happy with the draw when they were paired up alongside Lyon. Let’s not forget that APOEL went into the draw as one of the seeded group winners and so they get to start away from home. APOEL picked up wins over the fancied Zenit St Petersburg and Porto in the group stage, and they showed a lot of determination at times, grinding out their points and proving hard to break down when their backs were against the wall. APOEL drew all three of their away games in the group stage. But they also played some decent football along the way, and going as underdogs against the season French side, they will have nothing to lose here and are capable of causing an upset. The odds are stacked against the Cypriots in Lyon v APOEL Champions League betting, largely because of the experience that the French side can bring. So the first leg in Lyon may be a venture in one of those resilient efforts and if they can just nick a precious away goal to take back to Nicosia with them, then the second leg of this tie will hold a fascinating story line. But underdogs the Cypriots will be on Tuesday night and in the tie over the two legs. APOEL are well in the hunt to defend their league title, and they head to France on the back of a 2-1 victory in the league. APOEL have faced French opposition just once before, losing to Paris St Germain back in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup Winners Cup.
Lyon v APOEL Champions League betting
Lyon to win: 2/5 at Bet365
Draw: 7/2 at SkyBet
APOEL Nicosia: 8/1 at Bet Victor
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French side Lyon pulled off a remarkable escape act on the final round of group stage matches. Staring a massive goal difference deficit in the face in their battle for second spot with Ajax, Lyon burst into life when it mattered most to them, thumping Dynamo Zagreb 7-1 on match day six, while Ajax went down 3-0 at home against group winner Real Madrid. That remarkable match day six was enough to see Lyon through to the knockout stage with a plus two goal difference over Ajax, which it had looked a hopeless cause at the kick off on Match Day Six. It just goes to show that experience counts for a great deal, and is what is tipping the balance in Lyon v APOEL Champions League betting. Lyon aren’t in great form in Ligue 1 on the domestic front, only winning one of their last five matches, losing three of those five games. They lost again on the weekend, at home against Caen, and although they are in fourth place, they are eleven points back off the top of the table. They have power going forward with Gomis and Lopez, but they just haven’t looked quite as strong and efficient as they have done in previous seasons. They struggled so much more than usual through their qualification group, and it looks as if their last day heroics may have paid off big time by getting the luck of the draw and getting the inexperienced Cypriots. This is the ninth consecutive season that Lyon have been past the group stage, and they have such a strong record at home at this stage of the tournament. They have only lost once at home in the first knockout stage out of their eight previous ventures here, but there is hope for APOEL because Lyon have gone out of the competition at this stage in four of the last five seasons. Lyon have never faced Cypriot opposition before in Europe but go as strong favourites in this last sixteen tie.
